NDMA Conference Room, Aberdeen, Freetown, Monday 17th January 2022 – The LEONENET Empire has donated a sum of Le15 million to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) for the victims of the Wellington PMB fire incident; “this is what WhatsApp group should be doing, coming to the aid of Sierra Leoneans, especially in addressing of needs and vulnerable communities,” the NDMA DG extolled.
The Director-General of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Brima Sesay, noted that the Agency was launched on the 19th November 2020, and that’s just over a year now; I can confirm that we have covered over 99 disasters in the country without discrimination.
The DG affirmed that the Wellington fire incident was professionally managed. “We might not have all the capacity and tools we need, but we were able to coordinate it very well, especially, as we had activated the pillar systems in the NDMA.”
The DG said DNA of the fatalities was recorded for cross-matching, noting that; “We recover about 84 corpses, some were burnt beyond recognition, and that was what informed the decision to carry out a dignified burial.”
Andrew Kaili, a representative of the LEONENET WhatsApp Group, said he is aware of the importance of the Agency. “I’ve always been clamoring for the setting up of one because I felt when it was just part of the ONS and not enough attention was being paid to it, and now you have a chance of doing the rare coordinating role that you’re supposed to do and I have no doubts in the quality of the people here that you work to advance the success of the agency.”
“It didn’t seem chaotic, as apocalyptic as the incident was, but the management you could see there was a system” Andrew Kaili hailed the work of the Agency for its work in properly managing the Wellington PMB Fire incident.
The Director of Relief and Response, Sinneh Mansaray, thanked LEONENET for the donation and further explained the accountability nature of the Agency. “There is a National Disaster Management Agency Fund, an account registered with Sierra Leone Commercial Bank; all financial donations are sent into that account,” he noted.
A staunch member of the LEONENET WhatsApp group, Namisa Kramer presented the donation to NDMA – “On behalf of Mr. Ahmed Stokes Koroma, our emperor and the esteemed members of the Leonenet Empire, I present to you the sum of 15 million Leones for the victims of the Wellington PMB Fire incident,” she mentioned.